Donegal councillor elected as Chair of the Regional Health Forum West
Coimisiún na Meán
Today at 04:40
Donegal county councillor Cllr Gerry McMonagle has been elected to the Chair of the Regional Health Forum West with Cllr Michael Kilcoyne from Mayo elected to the position of Vice Chair.
Sinn Féin councillor McMonagle, was nominated by Cllr Donagh Killilea who said; 'Gerry is well experienced as we know and has served as chair in the past, we will put our faith in him for the 12 months.'
Cllr Kilcoyne, an Independent representative from Mayo, will take on the position of Vice Chair of the forum. His nomination was also proposed by Cllr Killilea who said,
"Albeit he's from Mayo and I'm from Galway, he's a fine man. He's served that position for the last 12 months and he's always stepped in when needed.'
The outgoing Chair of the forum, Cllr Ciaran Brogan, seconded his nomination.
The position of Chair of the Regional Health Forum Committee was filled by Cllr Bridie Collins. The Fianna Fáil representative from Limerick City and County Council was nominated by Cllr Francis Foley and Cllr Kilcoyne.
'Thank you to my colleagues for nominating me for Chair. I was nominated as Deputy Chair last year. I ended up chairing but its been a great learning experience for me. I'm very happy and delighted to be able to take that role on for the next year again,' she said.
Lastly the position for Vice Chair of the Committee was taken by Cllr Gary Doherty, a Sinn Féin representative from Donegal County Council, whose nomination was seconded by Cllr Brogan.
Outgoing Chair of the forum Cllr Brogan said:
"It's been a busy time and after the local elections there's a new forum and a lot of new members. I want to thank you for the cooperation you have given me over the last 12 months,
"We all have the same objective and that is to make sure that we improve the health service that we have,
ADVERTISEMENT
"We as elected members, irrespective of what political affiliation or what area we represent, all have the same passion to try and challenge the system towards the needs of the patient.'
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Scheme
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
15-07-2025
- The Journal
Sinn Féin seeking centre of excellence for endometriosis care as women 'being failed'
WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS are being 'failed' and let down by the state, according to Sinn Féin, who are seeking that the government commit to providing a centre of excellence in order to improve care. Endometriosis is a chronic disease that sees tissue similar – but not the same as – the lining of the uterus grow in other places. It's usually found in the pelvic region, but can be found anywhere in the body. It is not a menstrual condition, but it's often triggered in girls when they begin to get periods, and it can cause intense pain that is debilitating in some cases and heavy bleeding during periods. The disease impacts an estimated one in ten women in Ireland, but the level of specialist care and assistance offered by the healthcare service here has often been criticised for being under resourced. The Journal Investigates last year revealed that more than 100 Irish women had to seek care in Romania due to long waiting lists and a lack of affordable alternatives here . Sinn Féin is now calling for the health minister to 'take this disease seriously'. Advertisement Sinn Féin's health spokesperson David Cullinane and Senator Maria McCormack have drafted legislation which seeks to establish a centre of excellence in order to meet the level of capacity needed to deal with the number of cases here. Government previously committed to providing two specialist hubs and additional staff to reduce barriers to care for effected women. According to McCormack, there is currently a significant staffing deficit at the centres. 'We have spoken to many women who have attended these new centres, but they are not getting the treatment that they need,' she told The Journal , adding that there are at least 15 vacancies at one centre. 'I [spoke to] one little girl who attended one of these centres, and she was told she didn't have endometriosis. Then they went abroad for treatment, and she had quite extensive endometriosis lesions,' she added. Cullinane said that if there was one centre of excellence for care, the proper and full resources would be made available for women attending the centres and seeking treatment. 'We want, basically, every woman to have the same opportunity that they have in other European countries to gold-standard treatment,' he said. 'Far, far too long, as we've set out in our motion [tonight], women have been failed.' The Waterford TD said that the provision of 'second-best treatment' is not the fault of those currently working within the healthcare sector, but health minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill and HSE management. Related Reads Health minister announces 'see-and-treat' gynaecology services and 'advanced' endometriosis centre 'I just felt like I don't matter': Women forced to travel to Romania for endometriosis treatment 'Shame and stigma' mean women with endometriosis suffer in silence over painful sex He said that hospital staff want to improve healthcare for women, but claimed that pre-approved posts to help with this have been cut as a result of a cap on employment and cost levels in the healthcare system. 'Now they have to go back and start from scratch again,' he said. 'We'll be raising all of these issues and the need for that centre of excellence as a starting point with the Minster for Health.' A national framework for the disease is currently being developed and nearing completion, Carroll McNeill said last month . It will identify how care for women will be delivered at primary care centres, local hospitals and specialist complexes. It will be published once it is approved by doctors' union the Irish Medical Organisation, she added. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
15-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Calls for Blood Bikes to be given access to bus lanes
Blood Bike volunteers are calling for the ability to use bus lanes and be exempted from road tolls under a new bill that will be debated in the Dáil. Blood Bikes assist the health service by transporting essential goods for patients, often while the patient is in the operating theatre. Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh tabled an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill that would extend exemptions from road tolls and the right to use bus lanes, which currently apply to ambulances, to also cover Blood Bike services. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Blood Bike volunteer, Michael Noonan, said that the current legislation slows down their work. "As it stands, gardaí have increased their high-profile policing, and they've doubled their fines in the last year on the use of bus lanes," he said. "While our vehicles are marked, and gardaí are quite good with us in that regard, we use vehicles for palliative care which are unmarked and that just creates delays and complications." Mr Noonan said Blood Bikes transport medication, scans and medical equipment. "An ambulance will transfer a patient, anything to do with that patient could be transferred by a bike. "It could be their scans, it could be their medication, it could be any form of critical information required, it could be medical equipment," he added. "We often move stuff where people could be in theatre, and they discover that they're short something and may be required to be got from another hospital." Mr Noonan described the work of Blood Bike volunteers as an "insurance policy for the HSE". "When a critical call comes in, we can react instantly to their calls and get what they want, and what we do is actually quite incredible and unknown." The Department of Transport said that it does not support the request for blood bikes to be given permission to use bus lanes. In a statement, the Department claimed that any addition to the categories of vehicles permitted to use the lanes would inevitably reduce their efficiency for performing their original purpose. However, Mr Noonan said that there are only six Blood Bike volunteers on duty a day in Dublin and argued that allowing for them to use bus lanes would "have no effect at all". "There are six vehicles moving around that could lose their license within half an hour, so the bottom line is very simple: the level of vehicles that are required is minimal," he said. Mr Noonan added: "300,000 a day go across the M50, so from that point of view, it would have no effect whatsoever; the bike doesn't hold up traffic in a bus lane, they're quite discrete."
Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Irish Times
No money yet released from €8m special needs funds despite Tanáiste's pledges
No money has yet been released from an €8 million Health Service Executive fund for families of children with special needs. The news comes 20 months after the grant was launched and three months after delays were highlighted in the Dáil when Tánaiste Simon Harris pledged to ensure it would be paid. Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the 52 organisations, including four in Donegal , due to benefit from the fund for essential therapies, have now been asked to reapply. He said there was no guarantee they would receive the grant. The Donegal TD said parents were 'seething at what is happening here'. When Mr Doherty raised the issue in the Dáil in March, Mr Harris pledged the funding would be provided and expressed regret it had taken so long. READ MORE The funding for essential therapies for children with additional needs was promised in 2023 and then re-announced a year later. A nine-year-old Donegal boy, Jack McGahern Donaghey, who has cerebral palsy,uses a wheelchair and needs physiotherapy and speech and language therapy, took part in a photograph with ministers in 2024. In March 2025, when no funding had been released, his mother, Denise McGahern, said she felt her son had been used as a 'prop in a photo opportunity'. In the Dáil on Thursday, Mr Doherty told the Tánaiste 'despite your promises, here we are three months on and still no funding being released'. He said 'ministers of your previous cabinet went to Donegal, announced specific money, multiannual money for these projects'. 'You promised that you would make sure that it was being provided. Not just that it was sanctioned and released, but that it was being provided. None of these groups have got it.' One organisation had been promised €3 million over a three-year period, he added. But, holding up a letter the organisations had received, he said: 'They've been told that they have to reapply for shortlisting, that the funding is no longer multiannual. 'The fund needs to be spent by the end of the year. They only have to the end of the year to spend money, but you haven't even given it yet.' Mr Harris said that on March 25th this year the Department of Children, Disability and Equality secured sanction for the €8 million grant fund to come from the €3.2 billion disability services budget. 'So from the Government's point of view, once it was sanctioned, we expected it to start to be spent, to start being drawn down in light of what you brought to my attention.' He said he had followed it up and this week he was told 'there was some final compliance and governance issues in relation to some projects'. The Tánaiste said: 'It would be useful if we take the Donegal projects as an example to convene a meeting next week of our office members with the relevant HSE and departmental officials.' He would undertake to get that in place and would talk to Minister for Disability Norma Foley on the issue on Thursday. 'From the Government's perspective, the funding has now been allocated and the funding now needs to be spent quickly' for the benefit of the children.
